Shimoyamatedori
Rokucliome, 26
Kobe, Aug 28th 85
Dear Mr. Scudder: -
Your kind reply to
my cross-letters received.
I never write an angry letter
without feeling sorry for it
- even when I know I am
right. But I wonder whether
you quite appreciate an author's
position in such a case as
mine. He knows that his
editor can only write him
diplomatic letters, - that
in all matters of business his
editor is not his friend -
quite the reverse. Nevertheless
he has the sense of
certain psychological relation-
ships with him, - one of
sympathy; and perhaps believe,
it quite as intimate as the other
relation is disagreeable. When
therefore, a criticism appears in
editorial guise which destroys
that small sense of a sym-
pathetic mind at the other
end of the line, - or of the
world, as in this case; - then
every thing changes: the only
humane factor in the ac-
quaintanceship disappearing.
I see that you
did not understand I was
a pioneer. So would have
been very hard indeed to
find somebody else who had
resided in Izumo, - except
a Bible-woman, - in my time.
Now I know there are a
few missionaries there; but
I object to criticism by
missionaries. There are
a few rare men in Japan, like
the Rev. Arthur Lloyd, who
have some breadth of culture;
but most of them are [proven ?]
fanatics, - like the man who
has been exhibiting in
Chicago, as emblems of the
state religion of Japan, obscene
images borrowed from houses
of prostitution. Such men
can live in a country, twenty
years and see nothing. It
strikes me as positively certain
that Fenollosa's hand was
in that article, - containing
phrases first learned from
me; and he is generally
credited with it by those
who have relations with
Boston. As for some one
who knows more about the
interior of Japan - I mean the
life in itself - than I do, I
fear you could not find one,
- except a certain Jesuit
father who looks at the matter
from the 15th century point
of view. The difference between
myself and other writers on
Japan is simply that I have
become practical, a Japanese
- in all but knowledge of
the language; while other
writers remain foreigners
looking from outside at
riddles which cannot be
read except from us
inside. There is no one
competent to criticize me
from the point of view you
suggest, because there is no
one who has been able
to assume that point of view
among writers in Japan. When informa-
tive about a certain form of belief
or custom is wanted, even high
authorities on Japanese subjects
do not disdain to ask me.
You see how conceited I am;
but my conceit is based on
facts.
- However, I don't
feel very conceited about
my next book, which I
hope to send the rest
of by next mail. It
seems to me rather heavy,
- there is a preponderance
of serious articles I always
get tired of long before
they are finished, - so
that I cannot fairly
judge their value then.
Events and changes have been
so rapid and so strange
that many of these articles
forced themselves upon me
too quickly, perhaps. Where
my strong point is, I do
not know. Can you tell
me?
There are 3 sizes read,
of this character. I fancy
the above would be the
best for the title page.
I send you a paper
that has given me too
much trouble, - "A
Sumurai": it is the epitome
in one man, of the life of the
new Japan. I hope at
the next opportunity to send Table of contents, &
submit the whole to Messrs. H. M. & Co.
Very truly yours
Lafcadio Hearn
